The invention relates to a connector bank with two rows of insulation displacement contacts for connecting insulated cable conductors and in particular to a connector bank for telecommunication and data systems including a surge arrester magazine which may be inserted into the connector bank and which comprises a connecting element which may be connected between two insulation displacement contacts associated with the rows.
A connector bank of this type is known in the art from DE-PS 28 11 812. This reference discloses a connector bank provided with two parallel rows of insulation displacement contacts serving to connect insulated cable conductors. For protection against voltage surges of such cable conductors, a surge arrester magazine is insertable into the connector bank. Contact tongues arranged at the surge arrester magazine are connected to the insulation displacement contacts. The contact tongues are connected with the surge arresters disposed in the housing of the surge arrester magazine. It is disadvantageous with the connector bank that the insulation displacement contacts are completely covered by the surge arrester magazine and are, thus, not accessible anymore. Removing the connected cable conductors or attaching still free contact elements is only possible after pulling the surge arrester magazine off.
Further, functional tests of the connected cable conductors by means of a test plug are also possible only after pulling the surge arrester magazine off. Another disadvantage is that such an arrangement will, due to its construction height, require a correspondingly large housing for accommodating connector banks provided with surge arresters.
From DP-PS 35 09 523, there is known another connector bank with two rows of insulation displacement contacts and a surge arrester magazine to be connected with the connector bank. Here, too, one row of insulation displacement contacts is completely covered by the magazine such that the cable conductors connected therewith are not accessible.
From DE-PS 29 43 578 there is known a connector bank having opposed rows of connecting contacts. However, this reference odes not disclose a voltage surge protection arrangement.